Running lines of conductors for telegraph



(No Model.)

W. P. DODSON 8v A. H. EGE.

Running Lines of Conductors for Telegraphio Purposes..

N0, 241,793 Patented May 24,1881.

Qin LM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON P. DODSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, AND ALEXANDER H. EGE, OF MEOHANIOSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RUNNING LINES OF CONDUCTORS FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSESl SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,793, dated May 24, 1881,

Application filed March 14, 1881.

To all whom L 'may concern:

Be it known that we, WILSON P. DoDsON and ALEXANDER H. EGE, of Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg, in the counties of Philadelphia and Cumberland, respectively, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running Lines of Conductors for Telegraphic and other similar purposes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device for housing or inclosin g and carrying telegraphic, telephonic, or other conductors.

It consists in providing a bed or receptacle for wires, cables of wires, or other conductors, composed substantially of a sleeper or sleepers, so located as to constitute a continuous Stringer,77 asit is called, and grooved lon gitndinally in a most convenient manner, sunk in the ground ush with or near the surface thereof, and having the sleepers superimposed two by two, or in multiples of these numbers, the one upon the other, with the grooved surfaces engaging with each other, face to face, for the reception, retention, and protection of conductors, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

In my drawings,Figure lis a transverse section, showing the sleepers in position, and grooved only upon the opposite engaging horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower faces. Fig. 2 shows a modification of Fig. 1, in which are grooved in addition the oppositely-en gaging vertical surfaces. Fig. 3 shows another modification of Fig. 1, having oblique engaging-surfaces grooved, and showing also amodiiication of bolt-attachments th at may probably give a means of more closely clamping the upper and lower sleepers together. Fig. 4 shows a modification in which the grooves are made longitudinally along the bottom and sides of a trench or longitudinal depression extending the entire length of the lower sleeper, and of a greater or less breadth and depth, as may be most desirable, while a corresponding eleva- (No model.)

tion extends longitudinally along the upper sleeper. Fig. 5 shows a modification of the reverse of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows aplan view of lower sleeper with grooves and conductors, upper or cap sleeper bein g removed, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows a plan view otA sleepers, as shown in position in Fig. 2, the middle portion of upper being broken away. Fig. 8 shows a plan view of lower sleeper, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper sleeper being removed.

Similar reference-letters denote like parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, B is the lower or permanent sleeper, made in longitudinal sections of a greater or less length; A is a similarlyconstructed upper or superincumbent sleeper as a removable cover, both modified in shape and general form,as Inay be most desirable, and made preferably of wood, said e sleepers bein g sunk into the `ground, when praeticable, to a depth equal to or a little in excess of the combined depth ol' both, and provided with grooves a da a., formed longitudinally upon the opposite engaging-surfaces as numerously as may be desired, for the reception of the conductors b b b l), said grooves being so located that one or more upon either en gagin g-surfaces may be so arranged that the groove or grooves of the one surface may lie opposite or nearly soto the divisions or partitions between the grooves of the opposite surface, thus avoiding all possible contact of the conductors with each other should the insulating-surfaces in any way become defective, as well as a means of/s'npport for the conductors. The divisionsor partitions c c c c, between the grooves a mi a, serve both to separate the conductors and to keep them in place. They need not necessarily be all of the same general contour or shape, but may be so varied in this respect as to retain the conductors b b b l) in place without the assistance of gravity even after the removal of the covering-sleeper.

In Fig. 4, B shows the transverse section of a sleeper provided with a longitudinal groove or depression of greater or less depth, semieircular in general form, and containing grooves upon its concave surface adapted to receive the conductors b b b l), while A shows the covering-sleeper furnished with a correspond- IOO Vi y together.

ing longitudinal bead similarly grooved, said grooves sustaining substantially the saine relation to each other, as shown in Fig. l, when placed in position. I also prefer, for the more stable and secure retention ofthe upper sleeper or cap upon the lower, that the latter be rabbeted at some convenient point or points upon its vertical surfaces, as in Fig. 3, in order that clamps ff, of a convenient form, may be so placed as to secure the two sleepers more firm- I prefer, also, that general form of the app-r sleeper in which a deep trough extends throughout the entire length, with its sides inclined with a greater or less Obliquity, as in Fig. l-a conformation that will constitute the bounding sides of said trough-Han ges, as it were, of a sufficient lateral thickness and strength to afford bearings for the perforation thereof for the reception of spikes, bolts, or screws, as may be most desirable, whereby the two sleepers may be most readily and securely clamped together, and at the same time removable at will. Again, while I also prefer both upper and lower sleepers to be made of wood, on account of the cheapness and lightness ofthe materia-l, as well as of its durability when properly seasoned or prepared by kyanizin g to withstand the influences ofthe weather, moisture, and other disintegrating agencies, under ordinary circumstances, still I do not by any means confine myself to wood, either in the upper or lower sleepers. Hence, while one sleeper may bc of one material, the other may be of a different material. For instance, the lower sleeper may be of wood, and the upper of iron, natural or artificial stone, or glass, or any other suitable material, and vice versa. IVhen, however, one or both sleepers are made of iron, the strength and weight of this material is so great that one or both may be made of a much less vertical or horizontal thickness than when made of wood or other more perishable material, and besides be able to perform functions more satisfactorily than could be secured by any other material.

In the early history of telegraphythe disadvantages of the elevation or suspension of the `wires upon or from points above the surface of the ground, on account of the comparatively little demand existing for such means of communication growiiigoiit ofthelimited demands of business, were not so imperative as at the present day. The great accumulation in number of the wires with the amount of metal found necessary to be utilized aggregate such a weight that the means of support heretofore used to preserve perfect insulation are found absolutely inadequate to meet the demands now made upon them, particularly under the stress of storms, with the many other objections that are evident to the most casual observer, all conspire to necessitate a radical change in the usual modes of aerial telegraphy. Moreover, the methods heretofore advocated orused, upon the other hand, for sinking the wires or cables below the surface of the ground,

with the appliances found necessary to protect the same, have entailed so much expense, delay, and embarrassment to other business interests, that none of the modes heretofore proposed aiid now in use have been found capable of meeting the demands of the case. In my device, however, I attain all the advantages of the present modes with many additional ones never before attained, while I at the same time avoid all the disadvantages of the known methods of the :cria-l and subterrestrial systems.

lVith regard to the planting of our sti-in ger, as hereinbefore described, we propose to sink the same in a continuous line, at such depth only below the surface of the ground as will suffice to bring the upper lateral surface of the cap-sleeper ilush with said ground surface, or road, or street-bed, should it be proposed to follow the line of a thoroughfare or roadway. If it be desirable to sink or plant said stringers along the streets of cities or towns, in order to prevent, as much as possible, obstruction to travel, we think it will be found best in practice to plant the stringers a convenientlyshort distance from the curbing of the pavement or sidewalk, either within or without the saine, and iiush with the top of the paving stones or tiles. The cap-sleeper or cover may thus be easily removed for the depositing or removal of conductors without disturbing the bed of the underlying Stringer oi' the road-bed of the street, aiid thus avoid causing those obstructions to travel and business transit which are otherwise rendered inevitable in the usual methods of excavating for deep-laid cables or wires deposited beneath the surface. Then located upon the surface of the sidewalk at a sufficient distance within the curbing, the obstructions of awnin g-posts, hitchin g-posts, 'fireplugs, 85e., may be avoided, though in this case a modification of the strin ger will be necessitated in descending from the level of the sidewalk to that of the street, when it is desirable to cross the latter.

When it becomes necessary in the use of our device to cross rivers upon bridges, or depressions upon the land by means of scailolding, trestle or trussel works, in order to maintain the higher or general level of the entire sys tem, or to plant the same upon the cross-ties or sleepers of the road-bed of railroads, we prefer the use of the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and- 6, where the vertical thickness of both upper and lower sleeper may be reduced in a considerable degree, and the outer rim or border bounding the general depression or seat of the grooves may be so broadened that an ample bearing is secured for seats (either countersunk or plane) for clamps, screw or bolt heads, or other similar appliances.

.As auxilliary, also, to the more intimate engagement of the sleepers to each other when in position, face to face and end to end, my iiivention is particularly adapted for the use of the various modifications of gutta-percha or IOC) IIO

IIS

other suitable packing or insulating material (as shown in the most improved Weather-strips) that may be introduced into small grooves eX- tending longitudinally along the entire stringer,- preferably between the outer grooves and the outer edges thereof, and also in short grooves or other suitable seats at the cross-sectional joints.

The art of insulation has been carried to such a high degree of perfection, not only as illustrated in the Wrappings of the single wires used as conductors, and in the cables composed of a number of such wires or conductors, (constituting the strands thereof,) but also in relation to the surfaces of the receptacles prepared as the permanent seats of said conductors, and therefore We have considered itessential, in elaborating the features oi" our device, to make the same applicable to any of the most im proved methods of insulation nowin use; and hence We leave the selection of the particular modes to be determined by circumstances. We think, however, that it will be found, in

practice, in most cases, that a composition of matter consisting of a preparation of Whiting or carbonate of lime and linseed-oil, mixed in convenient proportions to constitute what is known in commerce as puttyf7 will be found sufliciently effective, both to secure an additional non-conducting surface or covering, as Well as to aiford an additional means of protection against the introduction of moisture to the'pseats or insulating-surfaces of the cables or conductors.

In the different modifications of our invention We propose that the engaging-surfaces ot' the grooved sleepers may be either plane or curved, or both, as circumstances may suggest materials,

as most practicable7 and hence We do not confine ourselves strictly to either conformation.

Ve are aware that the use of beds of different with grooved surfaces for the reception of telegraphic and other comluctors,have been used, and hence wedonot claim the use of these broadly.

XVe claiml. A bed for conductors consisting of sleepers, beams, or stringers engaging with each other face to face, and having the grooves and partitions in the lace ofthe one beam or series ot' beams arranged, respectively, opposite the partitions and grooves in the face of the other beam or series of beams.

2. A bed for conductors consisting of sleepers, beams, or stringers engaging with each other face to face, and having the grooves and partitions in the face ofthe one beam or series of beams arranged, respectively, opposite the partitions and grooves in the face of the other beam or series of beams, .in combination with an insulating material composed oi' (Whiting) carbon atc oflime and linseed-oil introduced into said grooves with the cables or conductors.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we ailiX our signatures in presence of witnesses.

WinsoN r. DoDsoN. ALEXANDER H. Een.

Witnesses as to signature of Wilson P. Dodson 

